Adventures in FaBerrysitting
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: The Glee crew volunteer to take Beth with Rachel and Quinn take a break. FaBerry femslash. Rated for language.
1. The Plan

_**LbN: Happy reading! Reviews are much appreciated!**_

By the time Quinn made it to glee that afternoon, she was near tears from exhaustion. True, her mother and Rachel had been nothing but supportive since she'd brought Beth home from the hospital. They would gladly take the baby if Quinn asked to nap, as would Puck. But she didn't ever ask. She was Quinn Fucking Fabray, and she did not beg for naps. Still….

"Quinn? Honey?" Rachel whispered.

"Hmm?" Quinn blinked a few times.

"I could pinch her, if you want…." Mercedes smiled.

"Don't even think about it." Quinn reached down for her water bottle (which was currently full of Red Bull) and took a long swig as Mr. Schuester walked in.

"Alright guys! I know these last two weeks are going to be crazy for you all, so we're going to have one last assignment, due on the first day of Glee Camp. Before we get into that, though, I think Kurt wanted to make an announcement. Kurt," he said, nodding.

"Rachel, Quinn, on behalf of the rest of the club, I'd like to say that you are awesome. Insane, but awesome. You have a room full of friends willing and able to babysit, and you haven't taken advantage of that once! Beth is a year old now, and it's high time Quinn got to sleep through a night. Thus, we are proclaiming the first two weeks of summer 'FaBerry Vacation Time'. We've pooled all of the members who are cool with babysitting, and we're going to take turns watching Beth while you guys swim, or chill, or sleep."

"Or have lots of kinky sex," Santana added with a wink.

"Look, guys, I appreciate the offer, but—"

"But nothing, Q," Santana said. "You look like an extra in a zombie movie, and the Dwarf permanently smells like baby lotion. You're taking a break."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Fine, but how is this going to work? Have any of you even babysat before? What are you guys going to do?"

"Simple," Artie supplied. "For the next two weeks, we'll shadow you. Then, the week before Glee camp, you can both chill, and we'll pair up and look after Beth."

"Why don't I get a vacation?" Puck asked.

"Because you only have Beth on the weekends, baby-daddy," Mercedes answered. "You're not the one losing sleep."

"Or pumping breast milk like you're preparing for the apocalypse," Quinn added. She caught Mr. Schue's face and smiled. "Sorry, Mr. Schue…overshare."

"It's okay. So, everything settled?" he asked.

Quinn looked over at Rachel, who was smiling brightly at her. "As long as you promise to let my mom step in if you're feeling crazy…."

"Already talked to her," Santana said, smiling. "And she's totally down with the plan."

"Awesome," Schuester said. "That, actually, brings me to the assignment. Kurt and Tina are going to help me with a song real fast."

The two walked to the front, and the music began to play.

_She grew up with  
The children of the stars  
In the hollywood hills and the boulevard  
Her parents threw big parties  
Everyone was there  
They hung out with folks like  
Dennis Hopper, Bob Seeger, Sonny and Cher_

_Now, she feels safe_  
_In this bar on fairfax_  
_And from the stage I can tell that_  
_She can't let go and she can't relax_  
_And just before_  
_She hangs her head to cry_  
_I sing to her a lullaby, I sing_

_Everything's gonna be all right_  
_Rockabye, Rockabye_  
_Everything's gonna be all right_  
_Rockabye, Rockabye_  
_Rockabye_

_She still lives with her mom_  
_Outside the city_  
_Down that street about a half a mile_  
_And all her friends tell her_  
_She's so pretty_  
_But she'd be a whole lot prettier_  
_If she smiled once in a while_  
_`Cause even her smile_  
_Looks like a frown_  
_She's seen her share of devils_  
_In this angel town_

_But, everything's gonna be all right_  
_Rockabye, Rockabye_  
_Everything's gonna be all right_  
_rockabye, rockabye_  
_rockabye_

_I told her I ain't so sure_  
_About this place_  
_It's hard to play a gig in this town_  
_And keep a straight face_  
_Seems like everyone here's got a plan_  
_It's kind of like nashville with a tan, but,_

_Everything's gonna be all right_  
_rockabye, rockabye_  
_Everything's gonna be all right_  
_rockabye, rockabye_

_Everything's gonna be all right_  
_Rockabye, rockabye_  
_Everything's gonna be all right_  
_Rockabye, rockabye, rockabye_

The rest of the group clapped as Kurt and Tina sat back down, and Mr. Schuester put his guitar away. "Okay guys," he said. "Your assignment is lullabies."

"Mr. Schue…that song was awesome and everything," Finn said, "But it isn't really a lullabye."

"I'm not talking about the real, nursery-rhyme types," Schue said. "I mean songs that you can put a spin on. You know this group is all about making music our own," he added with a smile. "Think about Pink—her song Perfect. When that came out, a lot of people suspected that it was written for her daughter. The song itself isn't a lullaby in the typical sense, but you get that feeling when you listen to it. That's what we're looking for. Everyone good? Any questions?"

"We flying solo, or is this a group thing?" Mercedes asked.

"Either," he answered with a smile. "Surprise me. And be thinking of possible themes for Glee Camp!"

* * *

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked as they pulled away from Lima Kids Daycare.

"Fine. I'm just kind of in shock from Glee," Quinn told her. "I knew they were cool with babysitting, but I didn't expect…."

"I know," Rachel agreed. "But this will be great. And you can catch up on your sleep."

When they got back to the house, Judy had already left for her salsa dance lessons. There was an envelope on the table that had their names on it. Rachel set Beth down in her high chair and poured out some Gerber Puffs for her before picking it up. "Quinn?"

"What is that?" Quinn asked, coming over.

"I don't know." She opened the envelope and pulled out a note. Wrapped inside of it was two airplane tickets. "Girls," she read, "when your friends talked to me about babysitting Beth, I thought I'd give you a better vacation than the parks of Lima. These are tickets to Chicago. I've already booked your hotel as well. We can talk more about it this weekend. I'll be back around nine. There's a casserole in the fridge—just heat the oven to 350, and put it in. XOXO, Nana Judy."

"Chicago?" Quinn squealed.

"WE CAN GO SEE WICKED!"

Beth looked up at the two of them with what was unmistakably Puck's "What the Flying Fuck" face.

Quinn laughed and picked her up. "Looks like you get to meet your…er…extended musical family," she told the baby. "Let's get dinner started."


	2. Round 1: ArtCedes

**Adventures in FaBerry Sitting**

"Isn't she lovely," Artie sang, "Isn't she wonderful—"

"Artie, I swear I will cut you if you sing another line of that song…." Mercedes grumbled as she rocked Beth.

"But you told me it was about a baby," he whined. "I thought it would be perfectly appropriate—"

"First off, yes, it's about a baby. Second, it's so overdone even the Jonas Brothers and Michael Bolton wouldn't cover it. Third, leave Stevie alone."

Artie laughed. "Fine, then what were you thinking of?"

"All I've been able to think of since we got this stupid assignment was Gravity."

"Sara Bareilles?"

"That's the one. It doesn't seem right though."

"Want to give it a go and see what Beth thinks?" he suggested, wheeling over to where he'd left his guitar.

"Sure."

Artie began to play, slightly faster than the original.

_Something always brings me back to you.  
It never takes too long.  
No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone._

_You hold me without touch._  
_You keep me without chains._  
_I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain._

_Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity._  
_Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be._  
_But you're on to me and all over me._

_You loved me 'cause I'm fragile._  
_When I thought that I was strong._  
_But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone._

_Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.  
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.  
But you're on to me and all over me._

_I live here on my knees as I try to make you see_

_That__ you're everything I think I need here on  
The ground.  
But you're neither friend nor foe _

_Though__ I can't seem to let you go.  
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down_

_Keeping me down_

_You're on to me, on to me_  
_and all over..._

_Something always brings me back to you_  
_it never takes too long_

"Er…Mercedes…" Artie said, nodding down at Beth when the song ended.

"SHE PEED ON ME!" Mercedes yelped. "What do I do?"

"Change her? And think of a new song, because that one's obviously not making Princess Fabray happy…."

"Oh shut up."

* * *

"You're telling me you've NEVER been to a baseball game?" Quinn asked, astonished. "Even Lima has a little league team."

"Just wasn't something we did. Dad used to take me to hockey games, but they weren't baseball fans in the slightest," Rachel explained, adjusting her cap. "You're going to have to explain it all to me," she added with a grin.

"It's pretty straightforward…."

Turns out, it wasn't. Rachel was horribly confused by the end of the first inning. The only time she didn't ask questions was when Quinn stood up and cheered, assuming that something great had happened. Quinn tried using this to her advantage and yelling even when the Cubs began crapping the bed, but this just earned glares from the other fans. Plus, Rachel was still confused. After a hot dog run, she ended up just putting her arm around Rachel and enjoying the game.

And shushing the diva when needed, of course.

* * *

"I was thinking," Artie said. "I know lullabies are usually slow and everything, but I think we should do something upbeat."

Mercedes handed Beth to him and sat down. She took out her iPod and scrolled through the songs in her karaoke playlist. "Anything, or anyone, specific?"

"Corinne Bailey Rae," Artie said, offering the baby a bottle. He'd volunteered for all feedings, as the smell of diapers triggered his gag reflex.

"Hel—heck yeah," Mercedes said, putting it in the dock and pressing play.

_Three little birds, sat on my window.  
And they told me I don't need to worry.  
Summer came like cinnamon  
So sweet,  
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete._

_Maybe sometimes, we've got it wrong, but it's alright_  
_The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same_  
_Oh, don't you hesitate._

_Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song_  
_You go ahead, let your hair down_  
_Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,_  
_Just go ahead, let your hair down._

_You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow._

_Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely,_  
_Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside,_  
_(just relax, just relax)_  
_Don't you let those other boys fool you,_  
_Got to love that afro hair do._

_Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid, but it's alright_  
_The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change._  
_Don't you think it's strange?_

_Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song_  
_You go ahead, let your hair down_  
_Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,_  
_Just go ahead, let your hair down._

_You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow._

_'Twas more than I could take, pity for pity's sake_  
_Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger_  
_When you gonna realise, that you don't even have to try any longer?_  
_Do what you want to._

_Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song_  
_You go ahead, let your hair down_  
_Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,_  
_Just go ahead, let your hair down._

_Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song_  
_You go ahead, let your hair down_  
_Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,_  
_Just go ahead, let your hair down._

_Oh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow_

By the end of the song, Beth was gurgling up at Artie in what he took as contentment. He picked her up to burp her, and got showered with baby spit up. "MMPH!" he grunted, eyes and mouth closed tightly.

Mercedes laughed and took the baby to get another change of clothes.

* * *

**_LbN: Working on ch. 3 now! Reviews and pancakes make me smile. Since you can't send the latter, I'd love to get the former! ;) _**


	3. Round 2: Furt

_**LbN: Two of my favorite songs EVER in this chapter. If Finn & Kurt ever really did this duet on the show, I would totally die happy. :) Happy reading!**_

* * *

"You are beautiful, no matter what they say. Words can't bring you down…"

"Mercedes did that already."

"I know. It's not my lullaby. I just can't resist—she's gorgeous."

"Yeah. It was cool of Nana Judy to get all of us cameras," Finn said, pointing his at Kurt.

"The joys of a messy divorce…" Kurt mused. "Plus, she wants pictures of her granddaughter. Quinn said she's taken up scrapbooking as well as dancing. Now, put it down and practice."

"Kurt, this ridic—"

"You're not changing her until I'm sure you won't drop her. Practice."

Finn glared at him, but picked up the baby doll and carefully rearranged its clothes. "There," he said. "That's the fifteenth wardrobe change for the doll. Can I please hold her now?"

Kurt smiled at him. "Your soft side is showing."

"Just give me the kid."

The younger teen gently passed the baby over. "Have you thought of your lullaby?"

Finn didn't answer as he rocked Beth. He seemed to be in his own world.

Kurt put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Is this hard for you? I could call Judy to come get her."

"No. I'm fine," Finn said, finally looking up. "I just… whenever I see her—whenever I help Puck watch her… I kind of miss the daddy feelings, you know? Not the panicky, scared feelings, but the whole "she's mine" thing. Sorry, that makes no sense…."

"Makes perfect sense. Tell you what… I'm going to put the kettle on—"

"You're not British, Kurt," Finn said with a small smile.

"And while I do that," Kurt continued, ignoring him. "You sing whatever's on your mind to Beth." He squeezed his stepbrother's shoulder and left quietly.

* * *

"What the fuck all over the place?" Quinn asked, a little too loudly. Other moms glared at her, but she didn't care. This was easily the most frightening experience she'd ever had; next to telling her parents she was pregnant. "Rachel…what?"

"It's the American Girl collection!" Rachel said excitedly. "I loved the dolls, and I know you used to read the books, so I thought we'd check it out!"

Reading the books and being in a three-story building full of dolls were two different animals, in Quinn's humble opinion. They'd done the tour, which had been kind of cool, but now they were in the actual store. Lining the walls were HUNDREDS of dolls that you could choose from to match you. Dolls of every hair color, eye color, and skin color combination stared down at her. Quinn knew she was crazy, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the dolls were plotting something. She shivered.

"We should get one for Beth," Rachel said, contemplating part of the blonde/blue-eyed section.

"But…er…she's just a baby. We should get one when she's a bit older, you know? Wait to see what she looks like at…er…doll age. We could even bring her here." That was a bit of a stretch. She wasn't opposed to getting Beth a doll, but she was never setting foot in here again if she could help it. "Let's go down to the café," she suggested. "They had some kind of caramel biscotti that looked amazing."

* * *

Kurt had no intention of wasting his expensive, but delicious, cherry blossom white tea on Finn. The older boy would just make faces as he drank it, and that really sort of ruined the experience for Kurt. No, he'd just needed an excuse to step out and listen to Finn's lullaby. Brotherly snooping was a habit that both of them had picked up quickly. He sat on the stairs and listened as Finn began to sing.

_Of all the things I believed in  
I just want to get it over with  
Tears form behind my eyes  
But I do not cry  
Counting the days that pass me by_

_I've been searching deep down in my soul_  
_words that I'm hearing are starting to get old_  
_It feels like I'm starting all over again_  
_The last three years were just pretend_  
_And I said..._

_Goodbye to you_  
_Goodbye to everything I thought I knew_  
_You were the one I loved_  
_The one thing that I tried to hold onto_

_I still get lost in your eyes_  
_And it seems that I can't live a day without you_  
_Closing my eyes_  
_And you chase my thoughts away_  
_To a place where I am blinded by the light_  
_But it's not right_

_Goodbye to you_  
_Goodbye to everything I thought I knew_  
_You were the one I loved_  
_The one thing that I tried to hold on to_  
_Oh, woah_

_And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time_  
_I want what's yours and I want what's mine_  
_I want you_  
_But I'm not giving in this time_

_Goodbye to you_  
_Goodbye to everything that I knew_  
_You were the one I loved_  
_The one thing that I tried to hold onto_

_Goodbye to you_  
_Goodbye to everything I thought I knew_  
_You were the one I loved_  
_The one thing that I tried to hold onto_  
_The one thing that I tried to hold onto_

_And when the stars fall I will lie awake_  
_You're my shooting star_

There was silence for a minute, then Kurt heard.

"I know you're there, Kurt."

Smiling sheepishly, he walked back into his room. "Sorry."

"No you're not," Finn said, but he was smiling back. "Well?"

"I love the song, and you're awesome at it."

"But?"

"I feel like you're sort of doing a tribute to Beth, and it shouldn't be so mournful."

"Well…there is one other one I had in mind. But I'd need your help with it." He handed Beth to Kurt and rummaged in his backpack. He pulled out a severely crumpled few sheets of paper. "It's a duet called If I Never Knew You."

"From Pocahontas?"

"Er…yeah. I wasn't watching—"

"No judgement…."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Want to try it?"

"So long as it's understood that I get Shanice's part."

"Of course."

_If I never knew you, if I never felt this love  
I would have no inkling of how precious life can be  
And if I never held you, I would never have a clue  
How at last I find i__n you, the missing part of me.  
In this world so full of fear, full of rage and lies  
I can see the truth so clear, in your eyes, so dry your eyes  
And I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through  
Lost forever, if I never knew you._

_If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real_  
_Never knowing I could feel a love so strong and true_  
_I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through_  
_Lost forever, if I never knew you._

_I thought our love would be so beautiful_  
_Somehow we make the whole world right_  
_I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong_  
_All they leave are worthless whispers in the night_  
_But still my heart is saying we were right._

_If I never knew you_  
_There is no moment I regret_  
_If I never knew this love_  
_Since the moment that we met_  
_I'd have no inkling of how precious life can be_  
_If our time's auspicious as that_  
_Is here at last._

_I thought our love would be so beautiful_  
_So beautiful..._  
_Somehow we make the world right_  
_I thought our love would be so beautiful_  
_We turn the darkness into light_  
_And still my heart is saying we were right._

_We were right_  
_And if I never knew you_

_If I never knew you_  
_I'd have lived my whole life through_  
_Empty as the sky_  
_Never knowing why_  
_Lost forever_  
_If I never knew you_

"I like it," Kurt said softly.

"Me too. Come on, let's get some pictures of Beth for Quinn and Rachel."

* * *

"Hey Rach! We got an email from Kurt."

"Beth's First Fashion Show?" Rachel asked, peeking over Quinn's shoulder. "I'm not sure I even want to know."

Quinn began opening pictures, and laughing hysterically. There was Beth, dressed as Lady Gaga, Woodstock (from the Peanuts comics), Arwen—complete with Lord of the Rings-esque sword, every member of KISS (which, Kurt noted, was Finn's idea), Hermione Granger, a flower, a ladybug, a kitten, and (Quinn and Rachel's favorite) corn on the cob.

"Well…at least they're keeping her entertained…." Rachel said, wiping tears of laughter away.

"They're keeping themselves entertained," Quinn corrected, smiling brightly. "I'm going to email them back and ask how many of those costumes she spit up on…."


	4. Round 3: Mina

_**LbN: Thanks for your wonderful reviews! Happy reading!**_

* * *

"What are they all staring at?" Tina asked as they pushed Beth through the park.

"Hello? Two Asian teenagers with a baby girl who's whiter than Michael Jackson's kids? They probably think we kidnapped her…." Mike said.

Tina made a noise of indignation. "Why? Has no one ever heard of babysitters before?"

The next three people they passed assured them that no, no one had. The looks they got were increasingly worried. Finally, when one jogger gave them a concerned look and actually pulled out his phone, Tina snapped….

"She's our friend's kid, for crying out loud!" she barked. "Got a problem?"

The jogger grinned sheepishly at them and put his phone in his backpack. "Sorry," he mumbled, before continuing on his way.

"So…maybe we should work on our lullaby. You know, so you don't act on the urge to attack anyone."

Tina laughed. "What did you have in mind?"

"Everyone I've talked to is rocking duets," Mike said. "But if we do that, I need something that'll let me hide."

"What if we do a mash-up?" Tina suggested. "No one's doing an actual lullaby, so we could use one and mash it with a pop song."

"I could do 'You Are My Sunshine'…?"

"Start it up! I've got the perfect song to go with it." She parked the stroller and handed Beth to Mike.

"You are my sunshine," he began, dancing with her. "My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. So please don't take my sunshine away."

_If you're lonely  
And need a friend  
And troubles seem like  
They never end  
Just remember  
To keep the faith  
And love will be there  
To light the way_

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine."

_Anytime you need a friend  
I will be here  
You'll never be alone again  
So don't you fear_

"You'll never know dear, how much I love you…"_  
Even if you're miles away  
I'm by your side  
So don't you ever be lonely  
Love will make it alright_

_When the shadows are closing in_  
_And your spirit diminishing_  
_Just remember_

"You make me happy when skies are gray."_  
You're not alone  
And love will be there  
To guide you home_

"You are my sunshine."_  
Anytime you need a friend  
I will be here_

"My only sunshine."_  
You'll never be alone again  
So don't you fear_

"You make me happy when skies are gray."_  
Even if you're miles away  
I'm by your side  
_"You'll never know dear, how much I love you…"

_So don't you ever be lonely  
Love will make it alright_

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

_If you just believe in me_  
_I will love you endlessly_  
_Take my hand_  
_Take me into your heart_  
_I'll be there forever baby_  
_I won't let go_  
_I'll never let go_

"You are my sunshine."_  
Anytime you need a friend  
I will be here_

"My only sunshine."_  
You'll never be alone again  
So don't you fear_

"You make me happy when skies are gray."_  
Even if you're miles away  
I'm by your side  
_"You'll never know dear, how much I love you…"

_So don't you ever be lonely  
Love will make it alright_

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

People were applauding and throwing money into Beth's stroller. Mike peeked into the cart and grinned. "We could go get ice cream. Ice cream?" he asked Beth in his best Mickey Mouse voice.

"Or," Tina said, putting the cash and coins into a pocket of the diaper bag, "we could take it home so Nana Judy could put it in Beth's piggy bank."

Mike pouted.

"Don't worry," Tina said, "I'll get you some ice cream too."

* * *

"This is great," Quinn mused. They'd spent the day lounging. After sleeping in and enjoying brunch on their balcony, they'd decided to explore a bit. The afternoon was spent walking around one of the parks by their hotel. Quinn, in particular, was enjoying the level of relaxation. No screaming fans or thrown beers, no creepy doll eyes…. Just her, and her little diva. "Look, they have a duck feeder!"

"Er…"

"Oh come on," Quinn said. "I suffered through your doll museum!"

"Not the same," Rachel said, trying to pull Quinn down the other path. "You didn't have that fear of dolls until _after_ we went. You know good and well that I hate birds."

"How about you just stand by the feeders? I'll go take some pictures, and then we can go fight over which Broadway show to see…." Quinn said, grinning.

"Fine."

Quinn kissed her quickly and put two quarters in the food dispenser. She scattered a bit of the food on the ground near the pond, and snapped pictures as the ducks pecked it up.

"Er…Quinn?"

"What's up, Ray Bear?"

"Goose."

"What about it?" she asked. She looked down as it walked up, honking at her.

"Geese are mean."

"You're being para—OUCH!" she yelped. "It pecked me!"

"Back away slowly."

Quinn tried. The goose followed. She picked up pace. It honked. She ran. It chased. "RACHEL!"

But Rachel was standing on top of the bench, hoping that the goose that was after Quinn didn't have a gang of friends.

"RACHEL! DO SOMETHING!"

"What?"

"ANYTHING!"

Rachel, hyperventilating, picked up the disgarded bag of food. Summoning all of her courage, ran up and nudged the duck. It was currently honking at Quinn, who had somehow managed to climb a tree in a skirt. It waddled slowly, menacingly, toward Rachel. She dropped a trail bird food toward the water and backed off slowly. Luckily, the goose didn't chase. A quack behind her made her jump and run.

* * *

"I'm glad you guys are doing okay with her," Quinn told Tina. They'd decided to do a Skype check in that night. "We totally love you for this. We're having such an awesome, chill time."

"Beth's no problem," Tina said, bouncing the baby a little. She held up Beth's hand to help her wave to Quinn. "Though…."

"What?" Quinn asked.

"Mike kind of had an incident."

Quinn could tell that Tina was trying hard not to laugh, so it couldn't be that serious. "First poopy diaper?"

"First time in jail."

"WHAT?" she and Rachel shouted.

Tina couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed and tried to explain. "We…we went to get ice cream…"

* * *

"Crap," Tina said. "I'm starting to get a headache."

"It's cool. We can go chill at my house until Puck comes to get Beth."

"No…I hate having to stop everything for these things. It's not bad."

"I'll go get you some Aleve, if you want to go grab the ice cream. I'll take Beth with me."

"Thanks," Tina said, kissing him on the cheek.

Mike smiled and pushed the stroller down the street. The pharmacy was only a couple of blocks away. "You are my sunshine…" he hummed.

* * *

"Do we even want to know what happened next?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, just wait…it's great."

* * *

"Good afternoon, young man," the old lady at the counter said. "And who is this you have?"

"This is Beth," Mike said. "Er…do I need to leave the stroller outside?"

"No, it's small enough. Go ahead."

Mike wandered around, aware of the woman's eyes on him. He hated being a teenager—everyone thought he was going to steal from them. He picked up a bottle of medicine and one of the flavored waters Tina liked and took them to the front. "Just these, thanks."

"One moment, sir. The cash register's on the fritz. My husband can fix it. Carl!" the lady yelled.

Mike watched her walk to the back of the store. He hummed a bit more of 'You Are My Sunshine' as he waited. The minutes stretched on. He'd just taken out his phone to text Tina when the door chime rang. He nodded at the two police officers who'd entered.

"Afternoon, young man," one of them said. "Would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

"Uh…sure, fine. Is something wrong?" he asked, following them with Beth.

"Hands behind your back sir."

"What? What did I do?"

"You're under arrest for kidnapping."

"No! I'm just babysitting! Her name is Beth Fabray—I'm friends with her mom, Quinn."

"We've had three tips today about a suspicious Asian couple with a kid—"

"What's Asian got to do with it?" Mike snapped.

"Just get in the car. Easy now…."

* * *

Quinn and Rachel were torn between horror and hysterics.

"What happened?" Rachel asked, open mouthed.

"Well, I'd already grabbed the ice cream. Saw them strapping Beth into a car seat, and Mike in the back of the car already. I called Nana Judy and she and I went to straighten everything out."

"Is Mike okay?" Quinn asked. She'd be traumatized if someone had accused her of kidnap.

"He's fine. In the shower now. I guess they threw him in a holding cell with a bunch of hobos. He says he thinks he'll never feel clean again."

"We'll bring him a keychain or something," Rachel said.

"Make it a snow globe, and I'm sure he'll be fine," Tina told her.


	5. Round 4: Brittanuck

**_LbN: I think I want Brittany to have her own book of fairy tales... Just sayin'... :)_**

"Something's getting in the way! Something's just about to break! I will try and find my place in the diary of Ja—"

"Please tell me that's not your lullaby," Santana said, coming into the room. "And what the hell are you doing to Britt's kitchen?"

"Makin' pancakes," Puck explained. "And no, it's not my lullaby. It was just in my head. Will you take Beth into the living room? I already sloshed pancake batter on her once."

"I'll take her!" Brittany volunteered. "I'll tell her a story while you and S make…er…what is this meal called S? It's two in the afternoon…"

"A late lunch, I guess. Here," Santana said, carefully taking Beth out of her high chair. She passed her to Brittany, who walked into the living room with her and settled on the couch.

"Once upon a time there was a little girl. This girl wore a red cloak…"

Santana smiled as she helped Puck make their afternoon snack. But her smile soon turned into a supremely confused look. She glanced at Puck, who'd paused to listen as well.

"She ran through the gates of the castle, and watched them close behind her. When she entered the castle, she ran into a hideous beast! He took her prisoner, but she was well treated by his servants…."

"What the flying fuck?" Puck asked quietly. "I thought she was doing Red Riding Hood."

"After a while, she fell in love with the castle—even the Beast. She was allowed to go wherever she wanted, and do whatever she wanted, as long as she didn't leave the castle. One day, she was sewing—"

"You've got to be kidding," Santana said.

"She pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep…."

"I don't even know what to say," Puck muttered, heating the stove.

"She slept until one day, a boy found the castle. He flew up to her balcony on his magic carpet—"

"It's a Disney clusterfuck."

"And broke the spell of sleep with a kiss. The boy was found by the Beast, and chased out of the castle. The girl lived happily ever after with the Beast. The end."

"Okay, can't handle it anymore," Santana said. She went into the living room and stood in front of Brittany. "Britt…what was that?"

"Snow White."

* * *

"You've seen it seven times!" Quinn argued.

"But Quinn—"

"I want to see Billy Elliot."

"I want to see Wicked. I know I've seen it, but you haven't."

Quinn huffed. "Fine. We see Wicked. But if Glinda has a cold, or Elphie refuses to come on stage, you will be in so much trouble."

* * *

"I want to practice, S!" Brittany said.

"Not now, B. I think I had one too many pancakes."

"We don't have to dance," Brittany told her. "We can just sing."

"Fine. Did you pick which one you wanted?" Santana asked. They'd had a long discussion about why there would _not_, in fact, be doing a hip hop version of 'Hush, Little Baby'. Brittany'd had her heart set on it, apparently, because she'd given Santana the silent treatment for about a day afterward. She'd cooked duck shaped cookies for the blonde, and offered a compromise. She, Santana, picked a bunch of songs, and Brittany could pick from the list. As Puck had so helpfully commented, it wasn't much of a compromise, since Santana was still technically picking the song. Santana threw in the promise of singing the song Brittany picked as a duet.

Brittany had agreed to this, still happy to have any stage time she could get with the ex-Cherrio. "I think we should do 'I Am Your Angel'. It's a pretty duet."

"Cool beans, Britt," Santana said. She'd hoped the blonde would pick that one.

"Want my Axe?"

"So long as that means your guitar," Santana deadpanned.

Puck rolled his eyes and sat on the floor. He made a show of tuning his guitar, and played a few rounds of 'Hush, Little Baby' just to annoy Santana.

"Get on with it, Puckerman," Brittany said, knowing the Latina was about to blow up.

He grinned, and played the opening cords of the song.

_No mountain's too high, for you to climb  
All you have to do, is have some climbing faith, oh yeah  
No rivers too wide, for you to make it across  
All you have to do, is believe it when you pray_

_And then you will see, the morning will come_  
_And everyday will be bright as the sun_  
_All of your fears, cast them on me_  
_I just want you to see..._

_I'll be your cloud up in the sky_  
_I'll be your shoulder when you cry_  
_I'll hear your voices when you call_  
_I am your angel_  
_And when all hope is gone, I'm here_  
_No matter how far you are, I'm near_  
_It makes no difference who you are_  
_I am your angel_  
_I'm your angel.._

_I saw the teardrops, and I heard you cry_  
_All you need is time, seek me and you shall find_  
_You have everything and you're still lonely_  
_It don't have to be this way, let me show you a better day_

_And then you will see, the morning will come_  
_And all of your days will be bright as the sun_  
_So all of your fears, just cast them on me_  
_How can I make you see..._

_I'll be your cloud up in the sky_  
_I'll be your shoulder when you cry_  
_I'll hear your voices when you call me_  
_I am your angel_  
_And when all hope is gone, I'm here_  
_No matter how far you are, I'm near_  
_It makes no difference who you are_  
_I am your angel_  
_I'm your angel_

_And when it's time to face the storm_  
_I'll be right by your side_  
_Grace will keep us safe and warm_  
_And I know we will survive_

_And just when it seems as if your end is drawing near_  
_Don't you dare give up the fight_  
_Just put your trust beyond the sky..._

_I'll be your cloud up in the sky_  
_I'll be your shoulder when you cry_  
_I'll hear your voices when you call me_  
_I am your angel_  
_And when all hope is gone, I'm here_  
_No matter how far you are, I'm near_  
_It makes no difference who you are_  
_I am your angel_  
_I'm your angel_

_I'll be your cloud up in the sky_  
_I'll be your shoulder when you cry_  
_I'll hear your voices when you call me_  
_I am your angel_  
_And when all hope is gone, I'm here_  
_No matter how far you are, I'm near_  
_It makes no difference who you are_  
_I am your angel_  
_I'm your angel_

"Good stuff, ladies," Puck said.

"You got yours down?" Santana asked. To her intense surprise, Puck blushed.

"Had it down since the first weekend I got to keep Beth with me," he mumbled. "The assignment was a little unfair. I already have my lullaby."

"What is it?" Brittany asked.

Puck looked over at Beth and shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I probably won't even perform it at camp."

Santana slid off the couch to sit next to Puck. "Look Big P," she said softly. "I know you and I have had our issues in the past, and I know this whole situation is hella overwhelming for you. But you stepping up and being as much of a dad as you can is fucking cool. Get as mushy as you want—if it's for Beth, it's fair game. And I promise not to tell anyone," she added.

Puck chuckled and said, "Fine." He turned to Beth, still uncomfortable just singing when Santana and Brittany were there. "I've been staring at the sky tonight—marveling and passing time—wondering what to do with daylight until I can make you mine. You are the one I want. You are the one I want…."

Santana moved to sit with Brittany again. She hugged her as they listened to Puck.

_I've been thinking of changing my mind  
It never stays the same for long  
But of all the things I know for sure  
You're the only certain one  
You are the one I want, you are the one I want_

_I've been counting up all my wrongs_  
_One sorry for each star_  
_See I'd apologize my way to you_  
_If the heavens stretched that far_  
_You are the one_

_I want, you are the one I want_

_I won't find what I am looking for_  
_If I only "see" by keeping score_  
_'Cause I know now you are so much more than arithmetic_

_'Cause if I add, if I subtract_  
_If I give it all, try to take some back_  
_I've forgotten the freedom that comes from the fact_  
_That you are the sum_  
_So you are the one_  
_I want_

_When the years are showing on my face_  
_And my strongest days are gone_  
_When my heart and flesh depart this place_  
_From a life that sung your song_

_You'll still be the one I want  
You'll still be the one I want_

"She's asleep," Puck said, leaning his guitar against the arm of the couch. He didn't look at the girls as he picked Beth up. "I'll go put her in her crib."

* * *

Quinn giggled. "It's actually fitting, our musical choice," she said as they walked back to their hotel. "Wicked was kind of responsible for bringing us together."

"It was _completely_ responsible for that," Rachel said, grinning. "Mr. Schue should've know we'd do nothing but argue as Glinda and Elphie."

"I have to say, though, his breaking point was deliciously dramatic. Locking us in his office and telling us to work it out was…well, idiotic for one. We could've killed each other. But it was also an Oscar-worthy moment."

Rachel laughed. "I agree. You were a great Glinda," she added, smiling at Quinn. "Wish he'd have let you keep the costume…."

Quinn laughed, and hugged Rachel closer as they walked.


	6. Epilogue

_**LbN: Thanks for reading peeps! There will be a sequel of sorts where we get to see the Gleeks handle camp. Happy reading! :)**_

The community center looked great. Sam grinned as he showed them around. "Coach Beiste has been really cool, letting me help with the renovations. My dad's running the basketball camps, and she's running football. They're both coaching soccer." Sam had been excused from the glee club assignment, as well as babysitting, so he could work on the community center his dad and Coach Beiste had decided to open.

"That's awesome Sam," Finn said, hi-fiving him. "I bet your brother and sister are excited."

"We don't have to live in a hotel anymore, and they get to do sports all summer? Hell yeah, they're excited."

They boys laughed as they entered the auditorium. It had been decorated from head to toe in glee club posters. The girls were in there with Mr. Schue, talking animatedly about something.

"What's up?" Kurt asked as they approached.

"Finally! Y'all took long enough with lunch," Santana grumbled.

"Please give Santana her food first," Brittany begged. She shrugged when Santana quirked an eyebrow at her. "What? You get grumpy when you're hungry."

"What was so funny a second ago?" Sam asked.

"Rachel…and Quinn…and a goose…." Tina gasped, still chuckling.

"I don't think I want to know," Kurt said. "Let's eat."

* * *

They spent the afternoon finishing the decorations for the Glee Camp opening celebration. Finally, when they were all tired and sweaty, and ready for another meal, Mr. Schue called them together at the front of the auditorium.

"I'm really proud of the work you've all done to get ready for camp—and of how you stepped up and let Quinn and Rachel have a break."

"Actually Mr. Schue, Rachel and I would like to say something really fast. And we have our lullaby," Quinn said.

"By all means," Mr. Schue told her. "Come on up."

"We thought a lot about this song," Quinn said, once they had taken the stage and Rachel had settled herself at the piano.

"And we think most of the club had Beth in mind when they chose their songs," Rachel added.

"So this is a song for Beth, but we think it applies to the Glee Club as well. Hit it, Rach."

_We were strangers, starting out on a journey  
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through  
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you_

_No one told me I was going to find you_  
_Unexpected, what you did to my heart_

_When I lost hope, you were there to remind me_  
_This is the start_

_And life is a road and I wanna keep going_  
_Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
_Life is a road, now and forever_  
_Wonderful journey_  
_I'll be there when the world stops turning_  
_I'll be there when the storm is through_  
_In the end I wanna be standing_  
_At the beginning with you_

_We were strangers on a crazy adventure_

_Never dreaming how our dreams would come true_

_Now here we stand, unafraid of the future  
At the beginning with you_

_And life is a road and I wanna keep going_  
_Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
_Life is a road, now and forever_  
_Wonderful journey_  
_I'll be there when the world stops turning_  
_I'll be there when the storm is through_  
_In the end I wanna be standing_  
_At the beginning with you_

_I knew there was somebody, somewhere_  
_Like me alone in the dark_  
_Now I know my dream will live on_  
_I've been waiting so long_  
_Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

_And life is a road and I wanna keep going_  
_Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_  
_Life is a road, now and forever_  
_Wonderful journey_  
_I'll be there when the world stops turning_  
_I'll be there when the storm is through_  
_In the end I wanna be standing_  
_At the beginning with you_

_Life is a road and I wanna keep going_  
_Love is a river, I wanna keep going on_

_Starting out on a journey_

_Life is a road that I wanna keep going_  
_Love is a river, I wanna keep on flowing_  
_In the end I wanna be standing_  
_At the beginning..._  
_With you_

The ex-Cheerio and the diva got a standing ovation when they were done. Smiling brightly, Quinn took Rachel's hand and they returned to their seats.

"You guys are right," Mr. Schue said. "It does apply to this group. We've proven time and time again that we're a family. And this family's going to have an awesome time this summer! So, without further ado… taking into consideration that none of you sent suggestions for a theme, and remembering how old our campers are…the theme this year…is…."

"A sense of dread just overtook me," Kurt muttered.

"Disney."

* * *

**_LbN: Hope you liked it! _**

**_Song List: Rockabye- Shawn Mullens; Gravity- Sara Bareilles; Put Your Records On- Corinne Bailey Rae; Beautiful- Christina Aguilera; Goodbye to You- Michelle Branch; If I Never Knew You- Jon Secada & Shanice; You Are My Sunshine; Anytime You Need a Friend- Mariah Carey; Diary of Jane- Breaking Benjamin; I Am Your Angel- Celine Dion & R. Kelly; Arithmetic- Brooke Fraser; At the Beginning- Richard Marx & Donna Lewis._**


End file.
